Heshu Sulaiman Rahman

Angiogenic Switches Play a Critical Progression in Cancer

Tumor angiogenesis has become an important field of research over the past decade due to its crucial role in the growth and spread of cancer. Significant amount of literature has demonstrated the link between tumor angiogenesis, metastasis, and prognosis. Not all tumors are angiogenesis-derived and the angiogenesis switch is a sign of the ability of tumor and inflammatory cells to produce angiogenesis factors in tumor microenvironment. Endothelial cell genetic stability plays an important role in this phenomenon as it makes it less likely to build up resistance towards agents aimed at tumor vasculature. Furthermore, since a minor 0.05% of the adult human body undergoes angiogenesis at any given moment, the potential side effects of anti-angiogenesis treatments is minimal. This study focuses on the role of and methods of modulating angiogenesis in tumor development.

Antioxidant and Oxidative Stress: A Mutual Interplay in Age-Related Diseases

Aging is the progressive loss of organ and tissue function over time. Growing older is positively linked to cognitive and biological degeneration such as physical frailty, psychological impairment, and cognitive decline. Oxidative stress is considered as an imbalance between pro- and antioxidant species, which results in molecular and cellular damage. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development of age-related diseases. Emerging research evidence has suggested that antioxidant can control the autoxidation by interrupting the propagation of free radicals or by inhibiting the formation of free radicals and subsequently reduce oxidative stress, improve immune function, and increase healthy longevity. Indeed, oxidation damage is highly dependent on the inherited or acquired defects in enzymes involved in the redox-mediated signaling pathways. Therefore, the role of molecules with antioxidant activity that promote healthy aging and counteract oxidative stress is worth to discuss further. Of particular interest in this article, we highlighted the molecular mechanisms of antioxidants involved in the prevention of age-related diseases. Taken together, a better understanding of the role of antioxidants involved in redox modulation of inflammation would provide a useful approach for potential interventions, and subsequently promoting healthy longevity.

Advancements in the Therapy of Ebola Virus Disease

Ebola virus disease is an infection of human and nonhuman primates with fatality rates of up to 90%. Since 2014, the largest outbreak of Ebola virus in recorded history spread into several adjacent West African nations. The infection especially propagated into highly populated areas and where there was inadequate healthcare infrastructure and public sanitation. Such deficiencies permitted the widespread of the virus and caused more than 10,000 casualties to-date. Currently, no specific therapy is available and treatment of Ebola patients depends mainly on supportive care and symptomatic treatment. A worldwide effort has been made to develop new therapeutic strategies, several of which were potential vaccines where promising results were demonstrated in non-human primates. High throughput screening of FDA-approved drugs has revealed several compounds with potential anti-Ebola activity in vitro, which raises the idea of reconsidering the previously approved drugs as possible candidates against the virus. This article reviews the current drug candidates and prospects towards the development of potential EVD therapy.

Zerumbone in Combination with Curcumin FOR Probable Treatment in Liver Cancer

There has been increasing evidence that cancers are dependent on a number of altered molecular pathways, which can develop diverse mechanisms of resistance to therapy with single agents. Therefore, combination regimens may provide the best hope for effective therapies with durable effects. In this current investigation, the anti-cancer effect of zerumbone (ZER), a natural compound from Zingiber zerumbet smith of Zingiberaceae family and curcumin (a yellow pigment from Curcuma longa) were used in combination for probable treatment in liver cancer. Both compounds were investigated in MTT cell proliferative assay as well as flow cytometric analysis (annexinV-FITC, cell cycle and TUNEL assay) on HepG2 cells in 3 ratios of ZER: CUR (1:3, 3:1 and 1:1). The IC50 obtained were 13μg/mL, 4 μg/mL and 7μg/mL respectively and the combinations further showed no toxic effect on normal liver cell lines (WRL68). The current findings revealed that the best combination of ZER: CUR is 3:1. The outcome of this study demonstrates that this combination has the ability to increased efficacy with limited toxicity in liver cancer treatment.